Thursday, December 27, 2007

Ah...today I have the day off and I love it. It's been ages since I've had this much time to myself.J is back at work, but I have off until the 3rd of January, and altho I should do a few things over the holiday, it is a morning all for myself and I just can't bring myself to do much of anything except drink coffee just yet. The holidays were nice and not too rushed this year. Christmas eve was fun and Christmas day was a nice day spent with J's family nibbling food and playing games. It's fun having a 2 year old around at Christmas...it really makes it a lot easier to remember what makes it so magic when you get to see the magic played out right in front of you. And yesterday, well J and I just hung out together and relaxed, nibbling on food made in my new wok and watching Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. I hid from the real world for a few days and it was lovely.

It was all so very nice...altho I have learned this holiday season how incredibly unobservant I can be. J left out a surprise present for me Christmas morning...which I totally somehow missed and didn't see until boxing day. So I recieved it then. And couldn't figure out why he was so mopey on Christmas day (oops). When I *did* finally open it I was brought to tears...he has replaced my galilean thermometer with a beautiful new larger one. It's 50 cm tall and measures 18-28 degrees...I feel blessed and ever so silly. Only I could totally miss a shiney wrapped present over helf a metre high. Luckily the man loves me a great deal and was patient enough to wait for me to recieve it. And it is beautiful...Our inner geeks are really quite satiated after this holiday...I now have a fully operational Muppet Labs with Dr. Honeydew and Beaker and a robot rabbit. J has a motion control Tardis with lots of whoops and wheezes.

Merry Christmas again to all of you.I won't be in much over the holidays but please have a wonderful holiday time and eat lots of cake and hug lots of people and generally have a nice time off relaxing doing whatever it is you enjoy...at least for a bit.Me? I'm off to read a while...

Monday, December 24, 2007

It's Christmas tomorrow.Meep!I love Christmas. Today I can break out the Christmas music (I try not to inflict too much of it on J) and finish up the few homemade gifts. Then it's over to my brother's for pizza and eggnog and Carsicona for the evening, and then to my in-laws Christmas day to relax and nibble and watch my 2 year old neice enjoy her first real Christmas. Can't wait..It's been a very nice Christmas time so far...lots of time to relax, not too much food (yet) and plenty of time to relax with J. And the snow is fluufy and beautiful...there's beena full moon lately and the river has been all misty and glowy...s'nice that.We even made giant a gingerbread North Pole with my neice, complete with many trees, a Santa's cottage and a big gingerbread train full of candy...it's covering my sister-in-laws table at the moment...quite elaborate and a whole lot of fun.

Well I must be off to finish my recipe jars and muffin of the month club card (membership has it's privelidges...)

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

I want a girl with a mind like a diamondI want a girl who knows what's bestI want a girl with shoes that cutAnd eyes that burn like cigarettesI want a girl with the right allocationsWho's fast and thorough and sharp as a tackShe's playing with her jewelryShe's putting up her hairShe's touring the facility and picking up slackI want a girl with a short skirt and a long jacket...

I want a girl who gets up earlyI want a girl who stays up lateI want a girl with uninterrupted prosperityWho used a machette to cut through red tapeWith fingernails that shine like justiceAnd a voice that is dark like tinted glassShe is fast and thorough and sharp as a tackShe's touring the facility and picking up slackI want a girl with a short skirt and a long, long jacket

I want a girl with a smooth liquidationI want a girl with good dividendsAnd at the city bank we will meet accidentallyWe'll start to talk when she borrows my penShe wants a car with a cupholder arm restShe wants a car that will get her thereShe's changing her name from Kitty to KarenShe's trading her MG for a white Chrysler La BaronI want a girl with a short skirt and a lonnnnggggggggg jacket.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The end is in sight...my brain is fighting the burnout...and likely tomorrow I'll be done this cursed data. FINALLY.

My reward for all this?A Monkey Bag. Well OK I don't know if that is what it is *actually* called, but it is what *I'm* calling it. It's a nice messenger bag made of soft black vinyl and it has many pouches and pockets and will tote all my kit and my lunch too...but the best part is there is a monkey on it. The Beastie Boys, with one of them as an ape to be specific. I saw it online ages a go and thought "huh...neat", but it was too much, so I left it behind. I saw it again the other day marked way down to $20 here in town...so I have rewarded myself. I've needed a new bag to haul things about and to work for a while now, so it is time (monkey time?)And it has a monkey on it...and the Beastie Boys. This can only be a good thing...

To me...it doesn't get better than that without getting all posh and leatherishlike on me. And with my track record for wrecking/losing things that are really nice, this monkey bag is a good thing.

My cat even fits inside. No, I didn't PUT him in he just went in.....enough room in there for a Maine Coone is all I'm saying.

Um...yeah...so...monkey cat messenger bag for me it is.And as soon as I'm done I can start using it.Kewl.Well, off to bed with me...my brain is done.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Hey! You!Want to know what *isn't* boring?Entering 15 consecutive years worth of data.Yeah, yeah...in fact, I can just tell that these last 3 years remaining will be gripping, edge of your seat sort of data files...The kind you make legends and myths out of...I can just tell.

Hrm. What to do?Well there's nothing for it I suppose...

All work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girlAll work and no play makes Geo a dull girl

*ahem*Hrrm...noone finshed up while I was away.*sigh*Well, back at it then...

Busy day, but I loves my quizzes and memes, so here we go (stolen from Diddums) . A little insight into my Christmasness.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? - Paper...I love wrapping things. It seems like cheating when you use the bags, although I must admit, some of my gifts would look a whole lot better in a bag than how they end up when I've finished with them!

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial - it's a family heirloom of sorts. If I could guarantee I wouldn't have needles of pain all over my carpet for a few months after I might go for a real one...they smell so nice..

3. When do you put up the tree? - First weekend in December.

4. When do you take the tree down? - by the end of January

5. Do you like eggnog? Oh yeah. With rum.

6. Favourite gift received as a child? This cool drawing Monsters and Superheroes thing - with a bunch of different heads and bodies and legs. You mix and match them and rub over a piece of paper on top of the raised template and get your very own thingummy to colour in. I still pull it out occasionally...

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Yes. A friend made me an abstract one out of wood...I like it, but don't always put it out, as my cat likes to run off with the little sheep...

8. Hardest person to buy for? My father in law.

9. Easiest person to buy for? J.

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? This hideous lace covered blouse of a thing. I couldn't even bring myself to try it on to be polite. Mom and I have a deal now - no clothing as gifts!

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Some of both...I'm pretty tardy, so usually the people far from me get email and late cards.

12. Favourite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life. It was my childhood model of goodness and kindness and how true love would be. I still watch it every year to remind myself.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Mostly December, unless it is something that will take a while to get here or is hard to find/get. J has a knack for wanting obscure things you can't get in Canada so I'm always up for a challenge.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Chocolates yes. Other than that I just give them away at work.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Depends - we tend to rotate who's side of family we spend Christmas with.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes

20. Angel on the tree top or a Star? Star. The little tree in the basement has a little knitted hat on top. Altho last night I had a brilliant idea for a tree topper. How about a planet or moon of some kind that lit up inside, with a little arm that rotated around the center with an old 1950s science fiction style space rocket flying in orbit around it. How cool would *that* be?

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? J and I Christmas eve - our gifts to each other at home by ourselves. The rest on Christmas day after breakfast and the family has gone to Christmas service.

My Mum and Dad were here.It was so great to see them - a bit of an early CHristmas of sorts. We gave Mom her little, easy to use digital camera that we kids got her for Christmas. Now she can see if she's cut off our heads or put her finger int he way before she develops the film roll! And it's pink...she's quite happy. We gave our Dad a year's subscription to Wood magazine so he can make things and tinker out in the shop. It's nice to give people things they will use and enjoy...they'll think of us often just like we do them...:)We went out for dinner (and I had a piece of halibut that was good enough for Jehovah) and then hung out at my brother's and played dominos and drank hot chocoalte and laughed and talked until midnight.I'm sad they won't be here at Christmas time, but it was great to see them, even for just a bit.

It's nice to be tired for a good reason :)

PS-if anyone wants to feed Frobisher, click more to toss him a fish. He's a good little penguin. I like to keep him happy.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

SO in a recent list of the highest polluting countries out there, Canada is at the lousy end of the list...only behind China, the US and Australia. The only large 3 countries not currently in the Kyoto accord are - Canada, China and the US, now that Australia is on board, with their new government. As of late, our new provincial government has been loosely discussing using the uranium we mine here in the province to fuel a local small reactor...and get this...to make cheap fuel to power the digging up of the OIL SANDS in ALBERTA!A hearty WTF to all of this.How did we fall so far?

The true north strong and free is not the shining beacon of human dignity and nature that it is inside my head...and that saddens me. To live in a country that is so full of beauty, and that prides itself on it's love of nature and goodness to people of all cultures...and be so very very far from that image in reality is sad.

Canada needs to make changes.

Recently scientists assigned carbon units to the amount of emissions that will happen before the global warming problem is irreversible...and the number was roughly about 180 or so...and accruing about 2-3 units a year. We're currently at about 120 on that scale...AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE. Our new Prime Minister (whom I not so affectionately call Bonehead) has backed out of Kyoto. Our official opposition leader who claims to be pro-environment (his dog is named Kyoto) abstained on the vote and gave in choked when we needed him most to defend us on environmental issues...as the former environent minister he caved and thought more about staying on as head of the Liberals than of the country's environmental welfare. So we are not as a country doing anything to address pollution. Nothing significant at all.

We just sit and talk about how we'll have a plan in place maybe in 5 years. Screw the effect on the economy that these adjustments may have! Developing countries being sucked into the affluent consumerism of modern day will need fuel and will start producing just as much waste and crap as we do...if we can't curb ourselves, how can we expect them to? We put dollars and cents and our "fragile economy" first, while the world is slowly being poisoned in front of our eyes. I fail to see how the corporate agenda takes precedence over the entire effing planet!

I know I compost, I recycle, I try and keep our house as energy efficient as possible and not buy crap I don't need...but I'm just one person. And I could do more...and a lot of people don't. I don't make the huge decisions. I can't force people to help out on my own. I saw a video presentation recently from the 90s of a girl about 13 addressing the environmental world conference asking the adults why they are told one thing but shown another when it comes to looking after the earth, and why things were being polluted and ruined...and it is still true. Years later the same issues are still here. We are not doing enough to fix the problem...because it is easier to not do it. There are alternative energy sources, but we won't use them until we *have* to...and by then it may be too late.

I have been thinking about this for days now and talking with J about it and I don't know that else to say except to implore all you out there to try and do your part. Shame your leaders into doing the right things by setting examples on how to treat other people and the planet you live in. I'd like to see my grandkids living here peacefully instead of off on a Mars colony because we used up the place and had to move on. Don't get me wrong...I'm INTO Mars and Moon living (Heck, I spent a month on Mars and it's not so bad really)...I could go with retiring to the moon. Just for kicks tho...not out of necessity. Of course they're talking about possible fuel mining on the moon so...I feel pessimistic saying it, but maybe we'd just go there and muck it up too. Who knows?

I for one like to think we can get it right. Canada needs to change. We are not the beacon of human dignity and natural beauty that we believe ourselves to be...and it is a shame. What to do about it?Well, I think Yoda said it best:

My parents just decided to come visit for 2 days.Geep.Bad week for it really...with this data flying around the place, and meetings too and J working his butt off as well...well there's too much to do. Let's just say they're going to get a crash course in "how I really live" (AKA. no time for parental previsit tidying)

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

On a roll with the odd things.I was giggling this morning thinking about a small show called Tim and Eric's Awesome Show Great Job...it's a low low budget sketch show. Not all of it is that funny, but I admire it because some of it is so incredibly...well...wierd. *that* is what cracks me up about it...the strangeness. And it *is* strange.So I present to you...a few of my favorite bits from this show I could find on the net.AND one of their Christmas songs to get you ...um..in the festive mood? Or something...

Monday, December 10, 2007

I've been catching all the odd song lyrics in my music over the past few days. And I'm finding there's a lot of odd stuff out there...and in my music collection. A lot of my music is without lyrics as of late, so I find I'm paying more attention to the lyrics that *are* there. I realise my taste in music is pretty diverse, but a box of christmas cookies in the mail to anyone who can tell me where these different odd song lyrics are by. (No interwebby cheating peoples...and they're different people..and if there's a battle for supremecy and you can't get them all, just maybe those with the mostest gets the goods).

1) Like the thunderbolt of Thor, I soar like meteor2) You'll never lose with your razorblade shoes3) He goes to sleep by falling on his face4) If I could open my mouth wide enough for a marching band to march out5) A part of me would like to travel in your veins6) I like a chick with big potatoes to mash

Of course now that I'm actually trying to list them I can inly come up with 6...and of course, not all of them are freaky deaky odd. But hey...my list. So there.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

It's been a long time coming.The Community Radio Association, CFCR I volunteer a lot for and help out with (and J does a show for) finally moved on up this weekend. As a non-profit place, they barely squeak by with a few staff, but what they do makes the city I live a better place. We interview local artists, play lesser known indie music and local bands, and have multicultural programming in over 20 different languages, with spoken word and special interest shows (environmental, political, GLB, femininist, radio dramas, comic books...you name it...) it's a local voice with a place for everyone. It's a great place.And finally...after over a decade of being ina dingy moldy smelly basement of a downtown building, CFCR finally raised enough money from this year's pledge drive to move on up. They're in a new place and it's AMAZING. They have (ooh aah) windows, enough space for everyone, and it's so bright and happy and healthy. I wasn't eggagerating about the state of their old home. For such a good place to finally have a step up is fantastic, and yesterday was the grand opening of the new digs. The mayor came by and and cut a ribbon with some shiny scissors, so they can't make us go back. It was great to see something that was always daydreamed about for years actually happen. There was even a cake with some coloured icing that made everyone's mouth turn grey like a zombie (black icing = bad idea) and later on in the evening was the Christmas fundraising shindig thanks to all of us who'd helped out to make it happen.It was a great day with great people...so hey! I had a great evening.

This morning...I really should be entering data while J is out on a shoot, but I'd rather reminisce with cats and coffee.Should get to it tho. Happy sunday everyone.

Ever wake up with 2 cats on your head...one of which then suddenly launches thru the air off your face (using your cheek as a foot grip) at the sound of your alarm clock...leaving you gripping your face and yelling "dammit cat!" at the retreating furry blur, while having the other leap up, twitching and hopping all over your most squishy and compressable parts in a mad panic trying to escape off the bed?

You should come to my house. It's all *kinds* of fun found here...Either they were trying to smother me in my sleep or scar me so I am unable to eat or breathe and waste away to nothingness...

Stupid cats. They left no permenant marks, but I'm thinking I'll need a helmet soon just to sleep in my own bed without injury.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

It's funny...I've been waiting for lots of snow for ages and we've finally had days of the fluffy stuff. It's great...altho I'm finding already that shovelling snow is turning into making the bed...you know, why do it when you'll just have to do it again tomorrow?

But I love it all, as it's so pretty. And after being out picketing for ages in the cold, now, it's nothing to shovel or just go for a walk in the cold...kinda fun actually. I"m sure it will wear off, but for now it's great.It's getting me all festive and holidayey. This weekend is "coat the home in lights" time and the tree will go up. I love Christmas for all the lights and shiney things.It makes me feel so much better just sitting in a blinky room with some tea...but til then....well, more shovelling (and data) :)

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

It's very surreal being back to "normal".I feel appreciative of the tiniest of little things now... and oddly enough I miss parts of picketing. I work alone, and being around people was so nice. And I got freckles in the middle of winter... the sunshine was great. The weather only sucked for the last week or so, and growing up in this kind of weather where you'd bundle up in it and play as a kid, it didn't seem so bad as long as you had your kit on and a fire to warm up at.I'm glad to be back in the lab. Nothing got wrecked, and I've got lots of nifty projects to get back to and start...and I like knowing I'll get paid again, so Christmas won't be entirely absent. This year gifts will be minimal, and not jsut for the $$ reasons. Gifting for the joy of giving, not for price or out of obligation, and things I can make or choose for the person myself. It will be about family and friends and spending time with the people and activities that really matters in my life.

It's good to be back.I feel like I've had a bit of a tune up...I may have broken or lost a few things, but perhaps they'll be replaced by other new things...or maybe I don't really need them or want them anymore. And I have a few picketing photos, but they're on a borrowed cell phone and I'm sad t osay I have no clue how to get them off of it...when I muddle thru I'll post photos of my Mars holiday.

And I can't help but wonder - will work be different now? Will the overall atmosphere be closer? More divided? Only time will tell...I know *I* feel different. Not sure how yet exactly.We'll see I guess.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Well it finally happened. Last night, after a full month of striking, after 2 days of negotiations with a mediator the university and the union agreed to go to binding arbitration for the 2 unresolved issues of the contract they are still diametrically opposed on. It's the best way to a reasonable settlement that won't leave us out on strike forever and make the university students suffer. AND it means the university can't bully us anymore - they have t oagree to an external fair decision. We may not get all we want, but it means we've made our point...and we can go back to work while it's being worked out.

What I'm doing in my head ALL THE TIME

About Me

I'm a nice person. No really, I am.
I'm definitely not trying to create a monster in my lab and I'm definitely not working on a cure for cancer...Well....OK maybe. After kicking breast cancer's ass I got back to mad science -maybe my research will help cure cancer some day...the monster thing just sounds more cool...if being a scientist can be said to be cool...umm...
hey what's that over there?
(whoosh!)